Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: I absolutely adore the fresh, earthy, piney taste of rosemary, especially when combined with salty Parmesan cheese!
Texture: The bread develops a wonderfully crisp, rich crust, while the inside is light and tender.
Ease: Ridiculously easy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: The dough comes together in a matter of minutes and using the cast iron pan means no shaping. Not to mention it creates a beautiful crust!
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Bread really doesn’t need to be intimidating or complicated, which is why I love to share recipes like this super easy No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread!
It’s so simple, and the perfect beginner bread if you’ve never baked your own bread before.
There’s nothing like a loaf of fresh-baked bread, warm from the oven! The smell is absolutely intoxicating. I think I was born to bake bread. It’s one of my very favorite things to do.
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How to Make No-Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread
Which Yeast Should I Use for Skillet Bread?
- No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread utilizes a shortcut ingredient: instant yeast, also called rapid rise or quick rise yeast.
- One of the three should be available at most grocery stores or you can buy my all-time favorite yeast on Amazon.
- These types of yeast are specifically formulated to allow you to skip proofing (aka the step where you combine the yeast with warm liquid for 5 minutes). You can add instant yeast directly into the mix with all of the ingredients.
What if I Only Have Active Dry Yeast?
If you don’t have or can’t find instant yeast, you can easily use active dry yeast instead at a 1:1 ratio. Add it right in with the dry ingredients like instant yeast, but just note that the dough will take about 20% longer to rise.
Alternatively, you can speed up that rise time slightly; simply combine it with the warm water and a pinch of the sugar called for in the recipe, and allow it to proof until it becomes bubbly (about 5 minutes) before adding into the bowl with the other ingredients. Learn more about the different types of yeast, and how to substitute yeasts, here.
How to Tell When Dough Has Risen
- After mixing, place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl or directly into the oiled skillet.
- I like to take a picture of the dough before rising, so I can compare to see how much it has risen later.
- Cover the bowl or skillet loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free location.
- The amount of time the dough will take to rise depends on your kitchen environment.
- Ideal rise temperatures are between 80°F and 90°F.
- Lower temperatures will require more rising time; hotter temperatures will require less rising time.
- The dough is done rising when it’s about doubled in volume and puffy.
Can I Mix Up the Toppings?
Absolutely! Feel free to add different herbs and spices, change up the cheese, and experiment with adding other toppings. Crumbled feta or goat cheese, torn fresh mozzarella, olives, cherry tomatoes, or fresh garlic cloves are all delicious touches. Homemade everything bagel seasoning also adds a fun flavor.
How to Serve No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread
- Serve alongside a delicious soup, like my Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Dip the bread in oil & balsamic
- Slather with butter
- Serve with pasta
- Or any other way your heart desires!
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Garlic Knot Rolls – soft, fluffy, and drenched in garlic butter!
- Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Red Lobster Homemade Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
- Homemade Hawaiian Rolls
- Ultimate Dinner Rolls
- Focaccia Bread
No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread
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Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) instant yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water (about 100°F)
- 4 1/2 cups (574 grams) all-purpose flour,
measured correctly - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and water. Add half the flour in and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the rosemary, salt, and remaining flour and stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Or, you can let the dough rise in the skillet (next step).
- Brush 2 tablespoons olive oil over the bottom of a 10 or 12-inch cast iron skillet. Sprinkle the dough and your hands with flour before shaping it into a disk. Dough will be sticky, it doesn’t have to be perfectly shaped. Place in the skillet, cover loosely, let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Drizzle additional olive oil over the top of the bread. Slash the dough with a sharp knife to create an X shape. Sprinkle with rosemary leaves. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle all over with the Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
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This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated with additional baking tips. Photos by Jess Larson.
My husband hates rosemary, what herb do you recommend substituting it with?
I love baking bread as well and knew as soon as I read your directions you were a bread baker as you said to use a wooden spoon! This recipe is great – I love cast iron baking and this bread is perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Was amazing! Especially love how the bottom doesn’t f the bread cooked in the skillet! Super easy to make 🙂 THANKS!
Hi Tessa! Can sourdough starter be used in this recipe in place of the instant yeast? If so, do you have any pointers for me? Thanks.
My first time to make bread….and this was super easy, super fun and tasted amazing. I love Rosemary. Thank you for sharing.
Yay! That’s wonderful to hear, Pam 🙂
I love to bake, but have always been intimidated by bread. This is the first bread I’ve made and it came out PERFECTLY! I chopped up about 4 cloves of fresh garlic for mine and it’s delicious by itself or with oil/balsamic. THANK YOU!!!
Yay! That makes me so happy Abby. Thanks for sharing this!
Can I use dried rosemary? If so, how much?
Also, doesn’t salt retard the yeast? Can’t we add it after the first rise?
Hi. I really want to bake this bread tomorrow since it looks delicious. I’ve got a question though, how should I bake it if i want to skip the parmesan? I want to make it dairy free. Do i need to keep in the oven for about 40 minutes instead of taking it out after 20 minutes?
My cast iron skillet is 8 inch. Should I divide the dough and bake in two loafs?
EDIT: NOT “Paul”, but “will”! Ugh
I made this for the very first time, it was too good to be true, and something I know my Hungarian husband Paul want me to make again ☺️
While a little messy, it was very easy because I have a breadmaker, which saved time. I serve mine with olive oil balsamic vinegar and a little extra Parmesan cheese. Can you recommend the best way to cut this, I ended up cutting it like a piece of pie???
Also, how is the bread best stored? Thank you!!
This was so easy and so delicious. It was my first successful bread so thank you!!!